Closing Out (my 31st) musikmesse – consecutively with a session playing with my 2 ‘brothers from other mothers’…and I Know both of their Mothers – in the Hammond Suzuki Musical Instruments stand – Jon Hammond, Joe Berger, Michael Falkenstein

Tokyo Japan — Jon Hammond Broadcast for MNN TV Cable Access, 34th year Friday nights at 01:30AM (Sat.) Channel 1 – first segment
from Tokyo Big Sight Japan — Very special dedication at Musical Instruments Fair Japan Second Day to my good friend Waichiro Tachikawa aka Tachi – reprising 10 years later Mercy Mercy with the great Suzuki Chromatic harmonica masters Koei Tanaka and Tokuichi Inoue (Stevie Wonder’s friends and harmonica makers!), Joe Berger playing custom guitar built by Tor Arne Engdal and Jon Hammond at the exciting new Hammond organ product, the XK-5 aka XK5 presented in the full blown version Heritage Pro System with high power model 3300 Leslie Speaker daily onstage in the Suzuki Musical Instruments stand – enjoy this Full High Definition Film that will bring you right there to the bi-annual fair in the Big Sight convention and exhibition center in Tokyo, Japan – the largest one in the country! See you again in 2018 folks! These instruments are available now from your local Hammond Suzuki representitives – Jon Hammond
*Note: We will also be appearing at Winter NAMM Show, Frankfurt musikmesse Prolight + Sound and Summer NAMM Show 31st year – this is the New B3 of the Future, now! “The New Original” – JH
Jon Hammond is playing the New Hammond XK-5 Organ product from Suzuki Musical Instruments with “Modelled Tone Wheel 1” (MTW1)
Tone Generator. MTW™ (Modeled Tone Wheels)
Second segment: Japan Music Fair LIVE Get Back in The Groove XK5 featuring Koei Tanaka and Joe Berger plus special guest Tokuichi Inoue chromatic Harmonica Masters from Suzuki Musical Instruments – Jon Hammond is playing the new XK-5 Hammond organ and high power Leslie Speaker, the new standard in Hammond B3 digital organ, best modern Hammond organ in history, enjoy! Jon Hammond photo Steve aka Shunichi Horiuchi!

Announcing Special Guest Lee Oskar for big Center Stage at musikmesse First Day 12 Noon on Jon Hammond All Star Band

Folks, I’m happy to announce that our friend Lee Oskar will be joining us onstage on the big Center Stage at musikmesse first day Wednesday April 5th with Joe Berger, Peter Klohmann Giovanni Totò Gulino! See you there, my 31st consecutive year – Jon Hammond
*Showtime: High Noon 12PM!

Announcing Special Guest Lee Oskar for big Center Stage at musikmesse First Day 12 Noon on Jon Hammond All Star Band

Folks, I’m happy to announce that our friend Lee Oskar will be joining us onstage on the big Center Stage at musikmesse first day Wednesday April 5th with Joe Berger, Peter Klohmann Giovanni Totò Gulino! See you there, my 31st consecutive year – Jon Hammond
*Showtime: High Noon 12PM!

The International Trade Fair for Musical Instruments, Sheet Music, Music Production and Music Business Connections will provide a comprehensive overview of the latest products on the musical instrument market coupled with an interesting complementary programme of events. Tickets are now available via the Musikmesse website. Visitors who buy their admission ticket online profit from a significant discount over the price on arrival at the fair.
Individual arrangements for different communities
With over 1,000 events in the halls and on the outdoor exhibition area, Musikmesse will reach visitors of all kinds between the Wednesday and Saturday. Retailers and distributors from home and abroad can learn more about the latest trends in seminars at the Business Academy inspired by SOMM. Top speakers from the worlds of marketing, business and law will put forward models designed to meet challenges in the musical-instrument market. Product courses oriented towards the needs of the musical-instrument trade will be held daily at the Drum Academy and the Guitar Academy. Furthermore, professionals from the sector can take part in the matchmaking programme, which brings retailers and exhibitors together on the basis of their specific interests.
Additionally, Musikmesse offers event space for the various musical communities, which include the Drums Brandworld and the Guitar Brandworld, which combine product demonstrations, workshops and entertainment in innovative special areas. Lectures on keyboard instruments, hardware and software will be given in the Keys + Recording Lounge while, for lovers of acoustic music and music for wind instruments, the Acoustic Stage and the Wood & Brass Stage provide a genre-specific programme. But that is not all: throughout the fair, there will be concerts by internationally renowned artists on the Centre Stage. And, to make visiting the fair even more attractive for both experienced musicians and people just starting to make music, Messe Frankfurt is offering tickets at lower prices for the Saturday, as well as a much reduced ‘Friday Afternoon Ticket’ valid from 14.00 hrs on the Friday.
Following the successful première of the Musikmesse Festival in 2016, the fair will once again be accompanied by a variety of musical highlights in clubs, bars and venues throughout the city. Musikmesse visitors will be given a Musikmesse Festival wrist band with which they can attend concerts at reduced prices or even free of charge.
Musikmesse ticket prices
Day ticket, Wednesday to Friday (5 to 7 April)
€ 30.00 in advance, online
€ 40.00 on arrival
Day ticket for Saturday (8 April)
€ 20.00 in advance, online
€ 20.00 on arrival
Friday Afternoon Ticket (7 April, from 14.00 hrs)
€ 8.00, on arrival only
Group Day Ticket (min. 25 visitors)
€ 16.00 in advance, online
€ 16.00 on arrival
Additionally, there will be special offers for children up to 14 years of age and families on the Saturday of the fair.
Tickets purchased in advance entitle the holder to use local public-transport services operated by the RMV public-transport authority in Frankfurt and the region free of charge.
The Online Ticket Shop can be found at http://www.musikmesse.com/online-ticket

Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is one of the world’s leading trade fair organisers, generating over €640 million* in sales and employing 2,364* people. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 30 subsidiaries and 55 international sales partners, allowing it to serve its customers on location in 175 countries. Messe Frankfurt events take place at approx. 50 locations around the globe. In 2016, a total of 138* trade fairs were held under the Messe Frankfurt umbrella, of which more than half took place outside Germany.
Comprising an area of 592,127 square metres, Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds are home to ten exhibition halls. The company also operates two congress centres. The historic Festhalle, one of the most popular venues in Germany, plays host to events of all kinds. Messe Frankfurt is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent.
* preliminary figures for 2016

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

The attached image is free for publication providing the indication of source (see file name).

**Folks, RIP Bob Cranshaw – very sad news! I thought Bob would live to 100 at least, he looked so young for his age in his 80’s – dig my interview with Bob Cranshaw a few years ago:https://vimeo.com/56844662

My 1959 Hammond B3 organ with custom built Super Leslie Speaker by the late great Bill Beer of Keyboard Products – just to the right of the Leslie box & flight case is my well-traveled original Hammond XB-2 in the ‘weekend warrior case’, it was not lightweight and not designed for heavy travel – but with the help of lots of gaffer tape and stickers I went around the world with that organ numerous times – can’t beat the mighty B3, but it won’t fit in a taxi cab don’t ya’ know! – Jon Hammond *Note: It was a LONG weekend for the Weekend Warrior Case folks!:

Roy Clark Television Interview with Jon Hammond just before Roy appeared on the American Eagle Awards in Nashville Tennessee during Summer NAMM Show – Roy Clark an American Living Legend and long-time member of The Grand Ole Opry and The Country Music Hall of Fame – Roy’s wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Clark

Roy Linwood Clark (born April 15, 1933) is an American country music musician and performer. He is best known for hosting Hee Haw, a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969 to 1992. Roy Clark has been an important and influential figure in country music, both as a performer and helping to popularize the genre.
During the 1970s, Clark frequently guest-hosted for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show and enjoyed a 30-million viewership for Hee Haw. Clark is highly regarded and renowned as a guitarist and banjo player, and is also skilled on classical guitar and several other instruments. Although he has had hit songs as a pop vocalist (e.g., “Yesterday, When I Was Young” and “Thank God and Greyhound”), his instrumental skill has had an enormous effect on generations of bluegrass and country musicians. He has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry, since 1987[1][2] and The Country Music Hall of Fame. BIOGRAPHY: Born in Meherrin, Virginia, Clark lived as a teenager in southeast Washington, D.C., where his father worked at the Washington Navy Yard. At 14, Clark began playing banjo, guitar, and mandolin, and by age 15 he had already won two National Banjo Championships[3] and world banjo/guitar flatpick championships. He was simultaneously pursuing a sporting career, first as a baseball player and then as a boxer, before dedicating himself solely to music. At 17, he had his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.
At the age of 23, Clark obtained his pilot’s license and then bought a 1953 Piper Tri-Pacer (N1132C), which he flew for many years. This plane was raffled off on December 17, 2012, to benefit the charity Wings of Hope.[4] He has owned other planes, including a Mitsubishi MU-2, Stearman PT-17[5] and Mitsubishi MU-300 Diamond 1A bizjet.[6]
By 1955, he was a regular on Jimmy Dean’s Washington, D.C., television program. Dean, who valued punctuality among musicians in his band, the Texas Wildcats, fired Clark for habitual tardiness, telling him, “You’re the most talented person I’ve ever fired.” Clark married Barbara Joyce Rupard on August 31, 1957.[7] In 1960, Clark went out to Las Vegas, where he worked as a guitarist in a band led by former West Coast Western Swing bandleader-comedian Hank Penny. During the very early 1960s, he was also prominent in the backing band for Wanda Jackson—known as the Party Timers—during the latter part of her rockabilly period.[8]
When Dean was tapped to host The Tonight Show in the early 1960s, he asked Clark to appear, introducing him to a national audience for the first time. Subsequently, Clark appeared on The Beverly Hillbillies as a recurring character (actually two: he played businessman Roy Halsey and Roy’s mother, Myrtle). Once, on an episode of the Sunday evening Jackie Gleason Show dedicated to country music, Clark played a blistering rendition of “Down Home”. Later, he appeared on an episode of The Odd Couple wherein he played “Malagueña”.[9]
In 1963, Clark signed to Capitol Records and had three top ten hits. He switched to Dot Records and again scored hits. He later recorded for ABC Records, which had acquired Dot, and MCA Records, which absorbed the ABC label.
Clark as “Myrtle Halsey” on The Beverly Hillbillies, 1968.
In the mid ’60s, he co-hosted, along with Buck Owens, a weekday daytime country variety series for NBC entitled “Swingin’ Country”, which was cancelled after two seasons. In 1969, Clark and Buck Owens were the hosts of Hee Haw. The show was dropped by CBS Television in 1971 but continued to run in syndication for twenty-one more years. During its tenure, Clark was a member of the Million Dollar Band and participated in a host of comedy sketches. In 1983, Clark opened the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre in Branson, Missouri, becoming the first country music star to have his own venue there, thus beginning a trend which led to Branson becoming a center of live music performance, as it is today. Many of the celebrities who play in Branson first performed at the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre.
Clark frequently played in Branson during the 1980s and 1990s. He has since sold the venue (now owned by the Hughes Brothers and renamed the Hughes American Family Theatre) and gone back to a fairly light touring schedule, which usually includes a performance with Ramona Jones and the Jones Family Band at their annual tribute to Clark’s old Hee Haw co-star Grandpa Jones in Mountain View, Arkansas.[citation needed]
In addition to his musical skill, Clark has often displayed his talents as a comedian and actor. During his years on Hee Haw, Clark entertained with numerous comedy sketches, including a recurring feature where he played the clerk of the “Empty Arms Hotel”. Clark released several albums of his comedic performances, to varying critical acclaim and commercial success. Clark is one of the few surviving regular male cast members from the show.[citation needed]
Clark has endorsed Mosrite, Gretsch, and many other brands of guitars during his career. He currently endorses Heritage Guitars, which makes a Roy Clark model. On August 22, 1987, Clark was made a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He plays an annual benefit concert at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, the proceeds of which go to fund scholarships for aspiring musicians.[citation needed]
For many years Clark has made his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Roy Clark Elementary School in Tulsa’s Union School District was named in his honor in 1978. Fellow Oklahoma resident Mickey Mantle arranged for Clark to sing “Yesterday When I Was Young” at his funeral (which Clark did in 1995).[10]
On May 17, 2009, Clark was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame along with Barbara Mandrell and Charlie McCoy. On September 23, 2010, Clark sang “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch at Dodger Stadium in a game featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers versus the San Diego Padres. On April 12, 2011, Clark was honored by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He will be honored by the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame as Oklahoma’s Music Ambassador for Children and will be presented with a commendation from Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin.

Producer Jon Hammond
Language English

Roy Clark and Jon Hammond in Nashville Tennessee at the American Eagle Awards

Roy Clark Television Interview with Jon Hammond just before Roy appeared on the American Eagle Awards in Nashville Tennessee during Summer NAMM Show – Roy Clark an American Living Legend and long-time member of The Grand Ole Opry and The Country Music Hall of Fame – Roy’s wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Clark

Roy Linwood Clark (born April 15, 1933) is an American country music musician and performer. He is best known for hosting Hee Haw, a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969 to 1992. Roy Clark has been an important and influential figure in country music, both as a performer and helping to popularize the genre.
During the 1970s, Clark frequently guest-hosted for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show and enjoyed a 30-million viewership for Hee Haw. Clark is highly regarded and renowned as a guitarist and banjo player, and is also skilled on classical guitar and several other instruments. Although he has had hit songs as a pop vocalist (e.g., “Yesterday, When I Was Young” and “Thank God and Greyhound”), his instrumental skill has had an enormous effect on generations of bluegrass and country musicians. He has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry, since 1987[1][2] and The Country Music Hall of Fame. BIOGRAPHY: Born in Meherrin, Virginia, Clark lived as a teenager in southeast Washington, D.C., where his father worked at the Washington Navy Yard. At 14, Clark began playing banjo, guitar, and mandolin, and by age 15 he had already won two National Banjo Championships[3] and world banjo/guitar flatpick championships. He was simultaneously pursuing a sporting career, first as a baseball player and then as a boxer, before dedicating himself solely to music. At 17, he had his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.
At the age of 23, Clark obtained his pilot’s license and then bought a 1953 Piper Tri-Pacer (N1132C), which he flew for many years. This plane was raffled off on December 17, 2012, to benefit the charity Wings of Hope.[4] He has owned other planes, including a Mitsubishi MU-2, Stearman PT-17[5] and Mitsubishi MU-300 Diamond 1A bizjet.[6]
By 1955, he was a regular on Jimmy Dean’s Washington, D.C., television program. Dean, who valued punctuality among musicians in his band, the Texas Wildcats, fired Clark for habitual tardiness, telling him, “You’re the most talented person I’ve ever fired.” Clark married Barbara Joyce Rupard on August 31, 1957.[7] In 1960, Clark went out to Las Vegas, where he worked as a guitarist in a band led by former West Coast Western Swing bandleader-comedian Hank Penny. During the very early 1960s, he was also prominent in the backing band for Wanda Jackson—known as the Party Timers—during the latter part of her rockabilly period.[8]
When Dean was tapped to host The Tonight Show in the early 1960s, he asked Clark to appear, introducing him to a national audience for the first time. Subsequently, Clark appeared on The Beverly Hillbillies as a recurring character (actually two: he played businessman Roy Halsey and Roy’s mother, Myrtle). Once, on an episode of the Sunday evening Jackie Gleason Show dedicated to country music, Clark played a blistering rendition of “Down Home”. Later, he appeared on an episode of The Odd Couple wherein he played “Malagueña”.[9]
In 1963, Clark signed to Capitol Records and had three top ten hits. He switched to Dot Records and again scored hits. He later recorded for ABC Records, which had acquired Dot, and MCA Records, which absorbed the ABC label.
Clark as “Myrtle Halsey” on The Beverly Hillbillies, 1968.
In the mid ’60s, he co-hosted, along with Buck Owens, a weekday daytime country variety series for NBC entitled “Swingin’ Country”, which was cancelled after two seasons. In 1969, Clark and Buck Owens were the hosts of Hee Haw. The show was dropped by CBS Television in 1971 but continued to run in syndication for twenty-one more years. During its tenure, Clark was a member of the Million Dollar Band and participated in a host of comedy sketches. In 1983, Clark opened the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre in Branson, Missouri, becoming the first country music star to have his own venue there, thus beginning a trend which led to Branson becoming a center of live music performance, as it is today. Many of the celebrities who play in Branson first performed at the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre.
Clark frequently played in Branson during the 1980s and 1990s. He has since sold the venue (now owned by the Hughes Brothers and renamed the Hughes American Family Theatre) and gone back to a fairly light touring schedule, which usually includes a performance with Ramona Jones and the Jones Family Band at their annual tribute to Clark’s old Hee Haw co-star Grandpa Jones in Mountain View, Arkansas.[citation needed]
In addition to his musical skill, Clark has often displayed his talents as a comedian and actor. During his years on Hee Haw, Clark entertained with numerous comedy sketches, including a recurring feature where he played the clerk of the “Empty Arms Hotel”. Clark released several albums of his comedic performances, to varying critical acclaim and commercial success. Clark is one of the few surviving regular male cast members from the show.[citation needed]
Clark has endorsed Mosrite, Gretsch, and many other brands of guitars during his career. He currently endorses Heritage Guitars, which makes a Roy Clark model. On August 22, 1987, Clark was made a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He plays an annual benefit concert at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, the proceeds of which go to fund scholarships for aspiring musicians.[citation needed]
For many years Clark has made his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Roy Clark Elementary School in Tulsa’s Union School District was named in his honor in 1978. Fellow Oklahoma resident Mickey Mantle arranged for Clark to sing “Yesterday When I Was Young” at his funeral (which Clark did in 1995).[10]
On May 17, 2009, Clark was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame along with Barbara Mandrell and Charlie McCoy. On September 23, 2010, Clark sang “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch at Dodger Stadium in a game featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers versus the San Diego Padres. On April 12, 2011, Clark was honored by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He will be honored by the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame as Oklahoma’s Music Ambassador for Children and will be presented with a commendation from Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin.

Producer Jon Hammond
Language English

Roy Clark and Jon Hammond in Nashville Tennessee at the American Eagle Awards